West Bengal, by dint of its varying topography and subsequently changing and differentiated weather, supports the growth of a variety of crops all year round. And it is because of this reason that the economy of the state relies greatly on the agricultural output that the farming community of the state produces every year. Farming, or agriculture comprises of a massive percentage of the yearly GSDP of the state, and more than 15% of the labour force in the state is dedicated to farming. West Bengal is the largest producer of rice in India, with produces amassing more than 15 million tonnes every year. The average annual output of potato is more than 90 million tonnes, which makes West Bengal the second-largest producer of potato in India. A total of 68% of the available land area of West Bengal is used for farming and agriculture. Available land for farming is also quite big in percentage, so there are innumerable farming families all over the state, who rely on various policies and laws and regulations that the state government has in place, which not just help out the farmers on a daily basis and help them improve their craft, but look after their overall well being as well.

But West Bengal goes far beyond just rice and potato when it comes to agriculture. Maize, jute, sugarcane wheat, barley and a whole gamut of vegetables are also grown here, and to good effect, since they are produced in quite sizeable proportions, which makes West Bengal a very friendly place for farmers to come to and settle in from other parts of the country. And needless to say, the West Bengal government has a variety of laws and provisions in place, which ensure that the farming community get the most benefits and aid from the government, and that all their needs are being addressed without any ado.

The agriculture department is concerned with activities relating to policy decisions on agricultural production and productivity, and its extension through technology generation, transfer of technology, ensuring availability and timely distribution of agriculture inputs specially seeds, fertilisers, subsidy, credit etc. alongwith support service through soil testing, soil conservations, water conservations, Seed testing, seed certification, plan production, Quality control of fertilisers and pesticides etc.

Last updated on: Wed, 06 Jul 2016

Information Source: Nodal Officer, Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal

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